Saturday, January 1, 2022
New Year's Greetings from Mayor Yutaka Sano of Hokuryu Town
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Happy New Year to all the townspeople.
We hope that you and your families are in good health and well-being as we welcome the New Year of Reiwa 4.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has been raging around the world since the year before last, has had a variety of impacts on our lives.
The town has continued to take measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, and with regard to the COVID-19 vaccine, we have been able to complete two vaccinations thanks to the efforts of the relevant agencies and the understanding of all townspeople, and we would like to express our gratitude once again for this. The third vaccination is scheduled for January of this year, and we ask for your continued cooperation.
Last year was a difficult year for agriculture, the town's core industry.
Although the snow melted smoothly, the low temperatures and lack of sunshine in May and the lack of rain in June and July made it a tough year for field crops. On the other hand, although there was a large amount of rice with white bellies due to high temperatures, a lot of low-protein, high-quality rice was produced. This is the fruit of the efforts of producers, and I would like to express my deep respect for them. However, the impact of COVID-19 has exacerbated the slump in consumption, resulting in a significant drop in prices. In order to minimize the impact of this, we will continue to urge the national and prefectural governments to take strong measures.
Furthermore, the town's major event, the Sunflower Festival, has been suspended and the tourist center has been closed to avoid any risk to customers and those involved, as human life is the top priority. However, approximately 110,000 people visited Sunflower Village in search of health and healing. This year, we hope to be able to welcome visitors from all over the country, taking all necessary precautions.
The "Hometown Support Donation" program, which has received a lot of support from all over the country, is expected to exceed 300 million yen for the eighth consecutive year, with return gifts such as sunflower rice and sunflower melons remaining popular. Going forward, we will continue to work to encourage many people to support Hokuryu Town through attractive town development and local specialties.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of the start of development in 1875, when a group of people moved from Motono Village in Chiba Prefecture. While the administration faces a mountain of challenges, including the issue of population decline, we will continue to work together with the townspeople to leverage the strengths and experience we have cultivated over the years and strive to create a town where each and every resident can live a fulfilling life.
In closing, I hope that the new year will be a bright and happy one for everyone, and this concludes my New Year's greetings.
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